Evaluating Digital Transformation as Mediator and Organizational Culture as Moderator in UAE Agile Project Management

Abstract

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has invested heavily in digital construction technologies to improve project efficiency, responsiveness, and sustainability. Digital transformation is increasingly viewed as a key enabler for Agile Project Management (APM) and sustainability-oriented project delivery within the construction sector. Despite this investment, digital transformation adoption among UAE contractors remains inconsistent, which limits the achievement of sustainability and efficiency targets in agile construction projects. This study the evaluating digital transformation as mediator and organizational culture as moderator in UAE agile project management. This study employed a quantitative, hypothesis-driven survey design under a positivist paradigm and deductive approach, guided by the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework. The population comprised contractors involved in sustainable construction projects in the UAE, based on licensed and classified construction firms listed by the UAE Ministry of Infrastructure Development. The sample size determination based on a population of 11,676 contractors, the required sample size was 371 respondents. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire survey, distributed electronically to targeted contractor managers, supported by official access to company lists and facilitated through the licensing sector to enhance reach and participation. The study analyzed data using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS, including mediation and moderation testing to assess a moderated mediation model linking TOE determinants to sustainability outcomes through digital transformation. Findings indicate that technological, organizational, and environmental factors significantly influence contractors’ digital transformation adoption. Digital transformation also shows a strong mediating role in improving sustainability outcomes. Moreover, organizational culture significantly moderates the relationships between TOE factors and digital transformation, strengthening the effects of these drivers on adoption. This study contributes by offering an integrated empirical model that positions digital transformation as a mediator and organizational culture as a moderator in explaining sustainability-oriented APM within the UAE construction industry.